SAM'S CORNER

Innovating in Times of Scarcity

A week ago, I took on the position of Chair of the Board of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the agency tasked with building and operating our bus and transit systems, and with directing regional dollars to major highway and road improvements.   With the State of California’s ongoing raids of billions of dollars from local transportation funds, along with consecutive quarters of sharp (24%) drops in sales tax revenue, the Board must grapple with a $98 million shortfall over two years.
Facing deficits of this magnitude, elected officials have a simple-- but far from easy--decision: we cut.  We cut services, jobs, and programs.   The VTA Board recently cut $30 million with a combination of service cuts and wage concessions by our employees --and I am grateful for their sacrifice--and another $40 million more by deferring the purchase of new busses and containing other costs.  Cutting too severely, however, threatens the purpose, if not the relevance, of the VTA.  To make the VTA fiscally sustainable through this period of turbulence requires what this Valley is most known for: innovation.   Under the reins of General Manager Michael Burns, the VTA has recently demonstrated a new proclivity for innovative and cost-saving measures, including:

• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)  In three years, residents will see BRT—a system using hybrid express buses running in exclusively designated lanes —along Santa Clara Street, replacing the light rail line planned for that corridor. Systems like the Transmilenio in Bogota show that BRT carries many more passengers than light rail, at a comparable speed, at a far lower cost.  At stops along the Santa Clara Street-Alum Rock corridor, residents will encounter a BRT vehicle every 5 minutes.   In future years, we’ll expand BRT, including along West San Carlos and El Camino Real.
• Bike Share—As I’ve advocated since 2008, and with the assistance of a regional grant, VTA will launch a pilot “bike share” program this summer, to enable transit riders to borrow bicycles with the swipe of a credit card.  Through this low-tech approach, we can boost transit ridership by enabling Caltrain patrons to avoid being “bumped” from fully occupied bike cars, and by providing residents an easier way to make the first and last mile to & from the transit station.
• Congestion Pricing and Express Lanes--We’ll roll out Express Lanes on southbound 680 from Alameda County and at the 237-880 connector, which allow commuters with FASTTRACK transponders to seamlessly use HOV lanes, paying  a variable fee based on traffic congestion.  We’ll use those funds to benefit commuters in the same corridor, improving poor roadway maintenance and expanding the alternative transit system .
• Bus Route Changes – Although cuts in service will take a toll, they would have been far worse to Downtown and East Side residents had our Board not already decided to implement efficiency improvements that re-focus bus service on those routes with the highest ridership.   San Jose residents obtained a larger share of service as unprofitable suburban routes were scaled back. 
• Look to the Private Sector – With cost estimates for the long-awaited “people-mover” connection to the Mineta International Airport exceeding $500 million, the City of San José reached out to innovative businesses to entertain proposals for a privately-funded project.  Over a dozen companies have expressed interest in building a privately-funded “personal rapid transit” system, an innovative concept that has recently launched at London’s Heathrow Aiport.  
• The Power of OPM--“Other People’s Money”— In times of scarcity, federal and regional grants become even more important.  VTA has stepped up its game to seek funding for long-planned transportation improvements, such as  the recent efforts by Supervisors Ken Yeager and Dave Cortese to obtain regional allocations of $32 million to unclog the dreadful 280/880/Stevens Creek intersection, and another $ 5million for 101/Capitol.  In November, Mayor Chuck Reed and I joined the Silicon Valley Leadership Group in Washington, D.C., to push for $900 million in BART funding, and we’re seeking a similar amount for construction of a high-speed rail station.

With these and other innovations, we look forward to serving you better through 2010 and beyond. Don’t hesitate to let us know how VTA can better serve you, by emailing me at sam.liccardo@sanjoseca.gov.

Sincerely,

Sam Liccardo

Contact Us
P: (408) 535-4903
E: district3@sanjoseca.gov
W: www.sanjoseca.gov/district3

D3 Staff
Sam Liccardo, Councilmember
Ragan Henninger, Chief of Staff
Roma Dawson, Policy Director
Ruth Cueto, Council Assistant
Fred Buzo, Council Assistant
Rhonda Hadnot, Exec. Assistant

City Holiday Closure

The District 3 offices, and most City departments, will be closed for the holiday from December 24th – January 3rd. We’ll reopen on January 4th. The City’s call center, (408) 535-3500, will continue to operate except for the following dates: Dec 24, 25, 31 and Jan 1, 2010.

Downtown for the Holidays
There’s no better place than downtown San Jose for the holidays. Here are just a few of the events happening right in the heart of our City. For more detailed information on any of the events below, please visit http://www.sjdowntown.com/eve.html

Downtown Ice
Daily through Jan. 18
Circle of Palms
www.sjdowntown.com
Skate under the stars and glide among a circular ring of 32 palm trees in one of the most creative and unusual settings ever for an ice rink. Definitely an only-in-Silicon-Valley event, Downtown Ice is guaranteed to bring smiles and create lifelong memories for you, friends and family.

Holiday Gallery of Gifts
Through Jan. 19
88 S. Fourth St.
www.kaleidgallery.com
KALEID gallery presents this holiday favorite offering a wonderful assortment of original works of art, photography, textiles, jewelry, hand-blown glass, candles, handmade books, clothing, cards and unique gifts by over 70 local artists.

Winter Wonderland
Daily through Jan. 3rd
Park Avenue and Paseo de San Antonio
www.winterwonderlandsj.com
Thrills await as you drink in the festive holiday mood. The family amusement area on Park Avenue, between Market Street and Almaden Boulevard, next to the Tech Museum, offers a festive arcade of fun and entertainment.

Christmas in the Park
Daily through December 27th
Plaza de Cesar Chavez
www.christmasinthepark.com
San Jose's best-known holiday tradition, now in its 30th year, allows people to stroll among 60 animated displays, hundreds of decorated trees and thousands of twinkling lights.

Stark Trek The Exhibition
Daily through January
The Tech Museum of innovation
www.thetech.org
Transport into parallel universes of the past and future while celebrating the creative spirit of science fiction that gave rise to many of today's modern marvels. The exhibit is spread across more than 15,000 square feet and features all five television series and eleven films that span over 40 years. Additionally, the exhibit is the world's most comprehensive collection of authentic Star Trek objects and artifacts.

Holiday productions
Multiple venues
www.artsopolis.com
Catch a matinee or evening performance of these great events:
"A Christmas Carol " at Northside Theater Co.
"Seafarer" at San Jose Stage Co.
"A Christmas Story " at San Jose Repertory Theatre
For a complete viewing of shows not listed or to purchase tickets, please click the link above.

South First Fridays
First Friday of every month (No January Date. Feb. 5)
8 p.m. until late
Galleries in the SoFA District from 300 - 520 S. First St.
www.SouthFirstFridays.com
An eclectic evening of arts and culture on the First Friday of every month in downtown San Jose's SoFA district. There is no January date due to the New Year's holiday). Enjoy dinner downtown and meander over to participating venues including Anno Domini, MACLA, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, Works, KALEID and San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. Free and open to the public.

Nutcracker
Ballet San Jose
Through December 27th
www.balletsj.org/
Hailed as 'one of the most entertaining versions of Nutcracker anywhere in the country," this treasured holiday classic returns to downtown. The holiday classic features full orchestra, stunning lobby decorations and carolers and characters from the show meeting and greeting guests before every production.

Winter Movies
California Theatre
Thursday through Sunday nights, December 17 - 27th
http://www.sanjose.org/meetings/facilities/ca_theatre.php?x=eventcalender
Mark your calendar to attend movies for affordable family fun at only $5 per person. Partnering with Stanford Theater Foundation, this season marks the third year in a row the Winter Movie Series has called California Theatre home. As an added bonus this year Christmas cartoons will run before each main movie feature and moviegoers receive free popcorn with each purchase of a beverage. Some movies include; It's a Wonderful Life (Dec. 24), Christmas Story (Dec. 25) and Adventures of Robin Hood (Dec. 26-27).

Riverdance
Broadway San Jose
December 29th - January 3rd
www.broadwaysanjose.com
As Broadway San Jose continues its inaugural season at the Center for Performing Arts, Riverdance comes to life on the stage. This thunderous celebration of Irish music, song and dance that has tapped its way onto the world stage thrilling millions of people around the globe and will play eight performances in San Jose.